Sotheby’s Interview: Minna George enhances the beauty of the Alps at the Hôtel Mont-Blanc
World-renowned English artist Minna George is presenting her exhibition “Légendes des Alpes”, until 10th March 2023 at the Hôtel Mont-Blanc in Chamonix. Through the works exhibited, Minna George pays tribute to the Alps’ most beautiful peaks. Interview.
Chamonix Sotheby's: What attracted you to painting the peaks of the Alps and how long ago did you start working on this?
Minna George: My paintings have been inspired by mountains my whole artistic career going back more than 25 years to date. There is just something in that horizon line and the way it curves that I don't seem to be able to ever get enough of.
That same line transpires in my abstract paintings in the past too. I created a collection of paintings called 'Legends' back in 2021 focusing on the Himalayas and the world’s top summits reaching over 8000 m. I enjoyed studying the curves and compiling them in compositions so lovingly with my unique process of painting, that I could not just stop there.
The Alps was the same inspiration call, close to my heart as I am a keen skier and hiker. I wanted to pay a special tribute to the region of Chamonix and Mont Blanc and portray some of my favourite peaks such as Les Drus and Mont Maudit as well as the Mer de Glace.
There are also some summits from the Bernese and Pennine Alps I simply could not ignore such as Matterhorn and Monte Rosa. It's difficult to put a time frame over a long ongoing process between the birth of a concept and its completion. However, to produce the work for this exhibition alone took nearly 12 months.
Chamonix Sotheby's: What was the creative process for creating this exhibition’s works of art? Did you spend time in the Alps, did you draw inspiration from photos, or mountaineering stories?
Minna George: This is my favourite part of the whole journey as every bit of it plays a significant part in the making of each piece that makes it an original and unique fine art piece.
Spending time on location is vital for capturing the spirit of the summits and the way they unfold before us. Hiking the paths, taking lifts and sometimes air rides is an inevitable part of research and capturing the very spirit of each summit and glacier.
Each painting began with a sketch produced on site, which is locked within the layering process used to create the final painting. I think sketching is the most honest representation of a true artistic emotion, captured and sealed in the very moment where vision, inspiration and thought collide.
The technique and surface I have purposefully appropriated to reflect the light, colour and movement one can only experience at an Alpine altitude. With the sculptural texture and expressionist fluid brushstrokes, I reveal the curves of the summits in a modernist and brave manner.
The rigid media of plexiglass composite I use is to signify the perception of strength and fragility, a modern media reflecting my time as a contemporary artist. Reading Alpine literature has been an additional provider of inspiration and insight.
Chamonix Sotheby's: What does it mean for you to exhibit these paintings in Chamonix, at the foot of Mont Blanc?
Minna George: I feel very privileged to have been given the opportunity to showcase 'Légendes Des Alpes' at such a special location which is rich in heritage, sponsored by Hôtel Mont-Blanc and Trésors D'Altitude. It is also a perfect opportunity to engage with the local community who have been very encouraging and supportive on my artistic journey.
It is an incredible feeling looking at the paintings next to the huge windows of the Hôtel Mont-Blanc both reflecting the light, line, and portrait of the same summit - a unique installation away from the conventional museum setting and surrounded in its immediacy by its core inspiration.
Chamonix Sotheby's: What are you currently working on and what are your upcoming artistic projects?
Minna George: Currently, I am working on some large scale private and corporate commissions while researching for new inspiring locations to be revealed by summer 2023.
In parallel with the exhibition “Légendes des Alpes”, works by Minna George are visible at Chalet Freya, an exclusive property on sale by Chamonix Sotheby’s International Realty and presented in our Newsletter #1.
Link to the newsletter